System and Method for Extending Communication Protocols

• US 20100177787A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Trane International Inc. (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: BOYDSTUN, Roger L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A system and method are provided for extending a communication protocol by constructing a top level message, constructing a first level extension message, and embedding the first level extension message in a data component of the top level message. Also, a system and method are provided for extending a communication protocol by receiving a top level message from a communication medium, determining whether a first level extension message is included within the top level message, and extracting the first level extension message from the top level message. Further, a system and method are provided for extending a communication protocol by using a processor to embed a first level extension packet within a top level packet. At least one of the top level packet and the first level extension packet include a message for use in an HVAC system.

Claims

1. A system for extending a communication protocol, comprising:

a component configured to construct a top level message in accordance with a communication protocol, and further configured to construct a first level extension message in accordance with the communication protocol and embed the first level extension message in a data component of the top level message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data component of the top level message comprises a payload section of the top level message.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data component of the top level message comprises a data field and the top level message comprises a top level data packet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the top level message comprises at least one manufacturer-specific control message of a first plurality of manufacturer-specific control messages, and the first level extension message comprises at least one manufacturer-specific control message of a second plurality of manufacturer-specific control messages.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is further configured to construct a second level extension message in accordance with the communication protocol and embed the second level extension message in a data component of the first level extension message.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is a component of an HVAC system communicating device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the component comprises at least one of an encoder unit and a processing unit configured to construct at least one of the top level message and the first level extension message.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the top level message comprises at least one of a header field, a payload field, and a terminator field.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first level extension message comprises a header field and a payload field.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is configured to dispose the first level extension message within a data section of a top level data packet.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the component comprises a processor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is further configured to receive a top level message from a communication medium, determine whether a first level extension message is included within the received top level message, and if a first level extension message is included within the received top level message, extract the first level extension message from the received top level message and store the first level extension message in a computer-readable storage medium.

13. A method of extending a communication protocol, comprising:

receiving a top level message from a communication medium;

determining whether a first level extension message is included within the top level message; and

if a first level extension message is included within the top level message, extracting the first level extension message from the top level message and storing the first level extension message in a computer-readable storage medium.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication medium comprises a communication bus.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the top level message comprises a protocol-compliant manufacturer-specific control message.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining step comprises determining whether the first level extension message is included within a payload of a data packet associated with the top level message.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving, determining, and extracting steps comprise:

receiving a top level data packet including the top level message;

determining whether the first level extension message is included within a data section of the top level data packet; and

if the first level extension message is included within the data section of the top level data packet, extracting the first level extension message from the data section of the top level data packet and storing the first level extension message in a receive buffer of a communicating device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication medium comprises at least one of a wireless communication medium, a wireline communication medium, and a fiber optics communication medium.

19. A system for extending a communication protocol, comprising:

a processor configured to construct a top level packet and further configured to construct a first level extension packet and embed the first level extension packet within the top level packet;

wherein at least one of the top level packet and the first level extension packet comprise a message for use in an HVAC system.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to construct a second level extension packet and embed the second level extension packet within the first level extension packet.